Aster's Bloom
by Shrouded Shadows
Summary: Aster, a typical highschool student, is injured in a mugging and gets sent to Equestria. The difficulty of starting over and forgetting his old friends is greater than he first thought, but with the help of his newfound friends, he's positive things will look up. M for later scenes, vulgarity.
1. Chapter 1- Prologue

** Hey guys, this is my first FanFic, but I'm sure you'll like it.**

It was your average Friday night, my marching band buddies and I walking to our respective houses after a home team win. Tired, my "twin" (merely because we have the same name) Evan and his girlfriend Alexis were chatting about weekend plans. I glanced at them, feeling happy they had each other, but saddened at the same time. I had once had a thing for Alexis, yet it never worked. By them, it was Elizabeth and her lover, Allen. I once had a petty rivalry with Allen, but we had set aside our differences and tolerated being in the presence of one another. I looked at my small group of friends with a small smile, remembering the year that brought us all together.

Lost in my memories, I nearly missed the alley shortcut towards my house. I readjusted the grip on my saxophone, said my goodbyes, and started towards the dark space between the fences.

"Wait", I heard someone say. Turning around, I saw Alexis walking towards me, a look of concern and worry on her face. She glanced at the shadowy path. "Are you sure you want to go that way? It looks dangerous." She asked.

I barked a small laugh. "I survived suicide _and_ the therapy afterwards. Do you really think anything in that alley could hurt me?" I replied.

"I guess you're right." She touched me on the shoulder. "Be careful, all right?" She said with a weak smile. I just waved over my shoulder and entered the gloom of the alleyway.

About halfway through, I heard the slightest noise. On my guard, I continued walking, eyes moving constantly. Suddenly, a figure glided out of the darkness ahead of me, blocking my path. I simply stopped, put down my instrument, and waited for him to talk first.

"Nice case you're carryin'. Anything worth cash?" inquired a gruff voice. Now that he had stepped out of the shadows, I saw that he was an imposing man, a good six inches taller than me. He had a wide build, broad chest and shoulders supporting a meaty neck.

"Yes, but I'm not looking to sell," I replied sarcastically. He chuckled, and looked me up and down, as if considering if I were a threat or not. I was six feet tall, yet incredibly scrawny. Despite that, I had thick shoulders and strong legs from marching. I had a nice buttonup shirt on, and my signature jeans. I was nothing the brute couldn't handle.

He grinned a sinister smile. "I ain't looking to buy. Just to… Take." He lunged at me, a knife appearing out of nowhere in his hands. He jabbed towards my stomach, looking to end this quickly.

Amusement twinkled in my eyes. He had underestimated me. I quickly dodged to the side and elbowed him in the back of the neck. He fell to the ground, stunned. Still facing him, I picked up my saxophone. Out of the blue, I felt a blade slip between my ribs from behind. Despite the pain, the smirk on my face was still there. He was smarter than he looked, smart enough to bring backup. I turned my head. In this horrific situation, sarcasm still laced my voice. "You know, that wasn't very nice… That'll leave an ugly stain on my nice shirt"

Then all was black.

* * *

I woke up in a hospital bed, a splitting pain in my back, close to my spine. The white ceiling stared at me blankly while I recalled the events of the night of the attack. A sudden burst of sound pulled me back to the present; I looked towards the sound to see Alexis, Evan, and Elizabeth almost trip over each other trying to get through the door. They had relief and sadness on their faces, and Alexis hugged me as I was lying down. I winced.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Evan. Err… I mean, Aster. Did I hurt you?" She said, concerned. I blinked. She had used my middle name. I had told people to use it to keep me and Evan from getting confused, but Alexis had always called me by my first name, in spite of all the pleading and confusion based headaches I had gotten. What had changed after I was attacked?

"I-I'm fine," I lied. "It's just a knife to the chest. A scratch."

"Do you know how long you were out?" She asked

I thought about the question for a moment. "It couldn't have been more than a night or two," I replied.

"Wrong. A week and a half," she said, her voice cracking a bit.

My eyes widened in shock. "A week and a half? You're joking." She simply shook her head. "Damn. Missed a performance," I said with my trademark smirk.

Evan and Elizabeth chuckled, and Alexis had a face of appalled shock. The room fell silent when she practically screamed at me.

"_I was worried SICK about your ass! You took a knife to a vital organ, you realize that? And all you can do is JOKE about a marching band performance!_" Tears were streaming down her face now. She fell to a softer tone. "I'm… I'm sorry, Aster." She did it again. Something must be wrong. "I want to point something out to you. If you want to live, it'll be in this bed. For the rest of your life." I was shocked. "You see this?" She made a weak gesture to an ensemble of medical instruments that I hadn't noticed before. "The only reason you're alive right now is because you're on life support. You are extremely lucky you can have a stable thought process as of this moment."

I looked around the room. Alexis looked plain out exhausted. Evan's face was crestfallen, dark and grim. Elizabeth sat in a chair, face in her hands, shoulders shaking as she sobbed. "Hey," I said quietly. Everyone looked at me. "Come here, you guys." They gathered around me. I painfully reached up and hugged all of them at once. Sitting back, gasping, I said, "Now, I have something to tell all of you."

They showed an interest in what I had to say, and leaned closer. "Evan." He looked at me. "Do you remember that Beethoven piece we played in eighth grade, Allegretto?" He nodded. "Play that at my funeral." He stood up in shock.

"Elizabeth." She looked at me, grief evident in her eyes. "Allen will treat you right, I know it. And if he doesn't, then I'll haunt that bastard's ass." She stood back, grateful for my words.

"Ah, Alexis. My words for you are quite special." She leaned in, intrigued. I took that opportunity to kiss her, for my first and last time. Her eyes widened in surprise. After a moment, I finally broke the contact. "You know I've always loved you. Evan is a better man than me, so I respect your choice." She simply stared at me.

"Aster-" She started, but I cut her off.

"If you truly love me, Alexis, even as nothing more than a friend, you'll do me one last favor: Pull the plug." She shot up, eyes like plates. She opened her mouth. "_NO_! Alexis, not one thing you can say will change my mind. I can't burden you with living like this. Do me this last favor. But before you do, I must tell you where you can find me." I addressed all three friends at the same time. "You all remember the fateful eighth grade year which brought us together. And I gained a new interest during that year. A slightly stranger one. If you don't find me in hell, then you'll find me in the land of that interest." I looked at Alexis. "Do it now." One simple sentence. As I lie down for the last time, Alexis pulled the plug from the wall, fresh tears wetting her cheeks.

**POV change: Third person after Evan (Aster) dies.**

The three friends sat together mourning Aster's death. In a sudden realization, Evan shot up from his chair. The two girls looked at him curiously. "I know where he went." He said, his voice soft. The girls eyed him again. He stared at them.

"Equestria."


	2. Chapter 2- A New Beginning

I awoke in another hospital bed, this one more comfortable than the last. I briefly wondered if Alexis had really pulled the cord. Then my eyes fluttered open, and I couldn't believe my eyes. The world seemed vibrant, with more color than I was used to. Taken aback, I shot up in bed to see a startled Twilight and Doctor Whooves looking at me curiously.

"So he's awake, then," Twilight said softly. "You are unlike anything I've ever seen before, and an extremely difficult case. Right, Doctor?" Doctor Whooves just nodded, probably silent because of thousands of thoughts running through his head.

I looked down at my own body to see I was still human, and in a thin modified hospital gown to fit my size. "I need a mirror," I said hoarsely, as if I hadn't spoken for a day or two. The Doctor handed one to me cautiously. I stared at my face. Almost every detail was the same. My hair was still dark brown, jaw still defined, and my nose was still one Voldemort would be jealous of. But my eyes had changed. They had turned a metallic silver. I felt my jaw drop slightly, and handed the mirror back with trembling hands.

"Are you ok?" Twilight asked. I simply nodded. "May I ask your name, creature?"

"E-Evan," I said, still shocked. "But you can call me Aster." I looked down at my thin gown. My head jerked up. "Where are my clothes?" Twilight brought them to me, and I looked at them. They were the same clothes I had worn on the night of the attack; the shirt had a nasty tear from the knife and a bloodstain covered most of it. The jeans were practically untouched. "May I have some privacy for a moment?" The ponies nodded and turned around. I unfolded the jeans and something fell out. I gasped as it hit the floor with a small clang. It was a sea turtle necklace from eighth grade. A band trip to Sea World led me to the gift shop, where I wanted something to remind me of the good times of conquered fears and churros. I had never lost it, and worn it every day since. I picked it up, memories flooding my head. I just slumped over. They were painful now.

Interested in my sudden silence, Twilight forsake all privacy and trotted over to me. "Is something wrong, Aster?"

I just fastened the turtle around my neck and nodded again. "I do have to change now, so..."

"Oh, yea," Twilight blushed and turned around, feeling foolish that she had forgotten.

Taking the pants and putting them on, I stripped the gown off and left it on my bed. I felt behind my back, and sensed no pain from the wound. I did feel a scar where the knife had gone through my rib cage, however. I looked at the ruined shirt, then at my upper body. Marching had kept me in shape. I decided to go shirtless. I tapped Twilight on the shoulder. "I'm ready, but I don't know your name," I said, having to fake a lack of knowledge to avoid scaring the ponies shitless.

Only being as tall as my chest, Twilight had to look up to see my face. She looked at me questioningly. "My name's Twilight. But why aren't you wearing that shirt?"

"I figured that a ruined shirt looks bad, and that I look a little better without a shirt than that bloody rag, right?" Twilight looked, blushed, and gave a slight nod. "Anyway, I'm going to assume I can't live in a hospital my entire life, and that I'm going to need a job someplace or another. Do you know anywhere I could rent?"

Twilight looked up and gave a happy reply. "You could always see if anyone in Ponyville has a room you could rent." I nodded and motioned for her to lead the way. She left the room, while I trailed behind her.

**I'm sorry this one is so short. I'm pressed for time and my computer seems to be having trouble with the Tab function. Also, it won't do the single line space. Anyway, please R&R, and leave suggestions on how to make it better.**


	3. Chapter 3- Meeting Rarity

**Hah, finally getting the hang of this. While writing my first three chapters, I was listening to Beethoven's 9****th**** Symphony, all four movements, just not in order, so you can figure out which one I was listening to while writing a certain part. Now, to the story…**

I followed Twilight to the library she lived in. While we were walking through town, a couple of ponies looked at me strangely, but shrugged it off. As she was about to open the door, a pink blur rounded a corner and I round my self on the ground with none other than Pinkie Pie bouncing on my chest.

"Ihaven'tseenyoubeforesothatmustmeanyou'renewhere! I'mgonnagothrowapartyforyounowwithcakeandicecreama ndpunchandit'llbesomuchfun!" She seemed to say in one breath. Then as fast as she appeared, Pinkie was off, presumably to set up my party.

Twilight chuckled. "That was Pinkie. Don't mind her; she gets excited when somepony new comes to town." She opened the door and led me into the main room, where I saw Spike sweeping the floor. He waved upon seeing her.

"Hey, Twilight! Who's that with you?" He asked.

"Spike, this is Evan, but you can call him Aster." She said, gesturing towards me with a hoof.

"Uhm, Twilight?" I interjected. "Why didn't you, Pinkie, Spike, or anyo- Er.. Any_pony_ else freak out when you saw me for the first time?"

They both chuckled this time. "Aster, we've been through stranger things than you in the time I've lived here. Most ponies won't freak out, unless they're new here."

"Oh," I said dumbly. "Well, do you have a clothing shop anywhere?" I asked, feigning a lack of knowledge again.

"We should go see Rarity then. I'm guessing you want a replacement shirt?" she said, pointing out my bare chest. I nodded. "Follow me, then."

We walked (trotted, for her? .) through town again. Some ponies waved at Twilight happily and raised an eyebrow at me, this weird creature that suddenly had shown up and walked on two legs. We kept walking until we came up to Rarity's house. Twilight knocked on the door, and Rarity popped up when it opened. She looked at Twilight.

"Why hello, Twilight. How are you?" She asked.

"I'm fine, Rarity, but I'm not here for me. Did you see my new friend here, Aster?" She motioned towards me again.

Rarity turned to me, and looked me up and down. "Do you need some clothes, darling?" she said, staring at my bare chest. "I mean, you don't look too awful. You look quite muscular, in fact."

I blushed slightly. "I'm the exact opposite, Rarity. Where I'm from, I'm really weak. But yes, I would like some clothes, thank you. How much would I owe?"

She looked amused. "Nothing at all! You're new to town, so your first set is free. Now come inside, and I'll take your measurements."

After about thirty minutes of idle chatter between us and a whole bunch of measuring, we were finally finished.

"Now, what type of shirt would you like, darling?" Rarity asked, selecting various fabrics and threads and comparing them to my skin tone and hair color. When she got to my eyes, she stopped and gasped. "You have the most wondrous eyes! How did you get that silver color? Were you born with it or did a spell go wrong?" She asked, fascinated. She had dropped what she was doing and was now inches away from my face.

I simply shrugged. "When I woke up in the hospital, the first thing I did was look at myself in a mirror. My eyes are normally a steel blue with slight tint adjustment to whatever I'm wearing. When I was transported here, my eyes had changed," I explained.

She was still staring at them when she replied. "I think this is much better than the ugly color of steel on you, darling."

"Anyway…" I said. "My shirt?"

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry." She said, coming back to reality. (I guess… I mean, what's reality when I'M IN FUCKING EQUESTRIA?!)

I walked over and selected a white cloth with a gray plaid design on it, chose white thread, and described the shirt I had ruined to Rarity. "Oh, and for the pants, just what you see on my legs right now," I said, taking a roll of denim from the pile and handing it to her. "Thank you, Rarity."

I left Rarity to do her magic (pun :P) and walked back to the library. The streets were unusually quiet as I continued down the street. I finally saw the library. I made my first mistake when I opened the door.

**Wow, no reviews yet? Must mean I'm doing pretty decent. Thanks for reading, and I apologize if I accidentally screwed with somepony's personality. R&R!**


	4. Chapter 4- The Party: Part 1

**Wow, thanks for the reviews and follows! iTealblast is willing to help me make this better, so do me a favor and check out his stories. Anyway, I'll be introducing an OC given to me by a friend. You know who you are! And now….**

I pushed open the stout door to the library and walked in the unusually dark room. _Was Twilight home, or asleep, or what? _I thought to myself.

My thoughts were interrupted by the surprise of my new life. The lights came on in an almost blinding flash.

"SURPRISE!" the population of Ponyville shouted at me.

"GOD DAMN! You just gave me a fucking heart attack!" I said, trembling in the fetal position at the threshold. Pinkie Pie trotted to me and leaned over my face, her grin too big for any type of logic to explain.

"Did we get ya?" She asked, hopping in place. "I think we got ya. Did we?"

I looked up at Pinkie and just stared, eyes wide and heart hammering. Then I felt the corners of my mouth turn up in a slight smile. Somehow, her grin widened even more. I just gave in and burst out in laughter, clutching at my sides as everypony joined in the laughter. Twilight trotted over and offered me a hoof. Grateful, I took her hoof and she helped me up off the floor.

"Come on, Aster, the rest of the girls are dying to meet you," she said, leading me over to the middle of the room. I found the rest of the Mane Six waiting for me there. _How in the world did Rarity get here so fast?_ Pinkie bounced up to join us. "Girls, this is Aster," said Twilight, introducing me. She motioned for me to talk to them. I walked up, and decided to talk to Applejack first.

"Howdy," She said, taking my hand in a death grip of a handshake. "My name's Applejack, and Ah run the Sweet Apple Acres. Nice ta meet ya, Aster." I smiled, and tried not to massage my hand after the hand(hoof?)shake.

"Nice to meet you, Applejack," I said, "But I'm afraid I must meet the other ponies now. I never knew this many people lived in Ponyville." I glanced at the rest of the Mane Six and decided to meet Fluttershy. She was hiding behind Twilight, almost trying to avoid any social contact. I walked over.

"Um, hello. And who might you be?" I asked the yellow mare, kneeling down.

"M-my name is F-Fluttershy," she answered, still behind her friend.

"Hello, Fluttershy, how are you?" I asked softly.

"Good," she replied, barely whispering.

"So, what do you do for a living?"

She perked up a little, confidence growing with every word. "Well, I tend for the animals in the forest. I generally feed them and help them with any problems they encounter."

"That sounds really interesting, Fluttershy. It was nice meeting you. Who knows, some day I might help out with the animals," I said, getting up. I gave her a quick handshake, and moved on to Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash was hovering, as usual, and eyed me with an amused look.

"So you're that Aster Twi was talking about. You don't look very fast," she said, brimming with confidence.

I laughed a small laugh. "You're right, I'm not."

"So you think you can beat me in a- wait, what'd you say?" She questioned me, confused.

"I said that you're right; I can't run fast," I said, smiling.

She looked at me in disbelief for a second, then fell to the ground laughing. She stopped, looked at me, and began laughing again. I just stood there smiling and shaking my head. "What's so funny?" I asked.

Dash picked herself up off the floor and grinned at me. "You sure know how to appear confident," she stated, wiping a tear out of the corner of her eye. "Anyway, my name is Rainbow Dash, the fastest flier in all of Equestria!" she exclaimed proudly.

"Your name fits you," I observed, pointing at her mane and tail.

She looked as if she were about to fly away and talk to another pony, but she stopped and turned to face me again. "You know, Twilight was talking about your condition when we found you. You were pretty messed up" she said with a slight frown.

"Oh really? How bad was I?" I asked, thinking it couldn't have been to overly terrible.

"Pretty bad. She said something about your lung and some other organ with a nerdy name were cut up. When she was healing you, she had to be reeaaal careful not to heal them together. Imagine two organs inside of you fused together…" She shuddered.

I was unnerved. I had imagined that the damage would have been less, for some odd reason. I rubbed the scar on my bare back, making a mental note to thank Twilight for saving my hide.

Dash had flown away, so I decided to go back and talk to Fluttershy again. I scanned the room for the yellow mare, and spotted her characteristic pink mane in one of the back corners. She was standing next to a white pegasus that I had never seen before. Her mane was rugged and disheveled, as was common for most pegasi. Her cutie mark looked like a speeding star. They stopped their conversation as I approached.

I waved. "Hey, Fluttershy, who's this?" I inquired, gesturing to the white mare.

"This is Sonic Boom." She turned to the mare. "Sonic, this is my friend, Aster," She said softly, gesturing towards me.

"Hi," Sonic said, "Nice to meet you, Aster." She spoke soft and seemed to be reluctant in conversation.

I chuckled. "I see why you two are friends," I stated. "You two are just so shy! Not in a bad way. Shy people have great personalities," I said with a smile.

Sonic Boom looked up and smiled back. Her eyes lingered on my chest for a second, and I blushed. "Hey, Fluttershy," she said, turning to her friend, "What's that animal?" She pointed at my chest. I felt foolish and blushed even more when I remembered my necklace.

Fluttershy leaned closer. "That looks like a turtle of some sort."

I don't know what did it, but suddenly, emotions flooded me again. I sank to the ground and pulled my knees to my chest, burying my face in my arms as I remembered all the friends and my old life that I had left behind. My shoulders shook as I started to silently sob.

The two mares exchanged concerned glances and sat on either side of me. "Hey," Sonic said to the right of me, "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

I looked up at the mare through wet lashes, and started explaining everything. "Before I came here, I had a life with other people, just like me. Human. These people were my friends back where I came from, and I bought this necklace to remind me of them, the fun I had, all the awkward conversations and… just everything. I left that world for this one. I didn't think about it at the time, but I really miss them all." My head fell back to my arms. I felt the mare wrap her arms around me.

"It'll be okay. Just enjoy yourself. This is a new opportunity for you. Take advantage of it," she said.

I looked up at her again, and saw sympathy in her eyes, like she had been there before…_But that's impossible. She isn't human, _I thought. "Thanks, Sonic." I got up and grinned the wildest grin in my life. "You're right. I need to stop thinking about the past and live in the present. And besides, _this is a party!" _I exclaimed.

"That's the spirit!" Sonic said with enthusiasm. Fluttershy just smiled.

It was time to start my life over.

**I hope this one is just a little longer and to your liking. Thanks for reading this far! Sonic Boom is an OC that my friend gave me permission to use, and this is where things will ****_finally_**** take a lighter and more humorous note. R&R! ~ShroudedShadows**


	5. Chapter 5- Spitfire

**Sorry about the late update. I haven't had access to a computer lately, and I've been having trouble with Word as well. But I have been brainstorming ideas for my overall plot. One last question: Should my chapters be longer? I get the feeling they're too short for some readers out there. Anyway, on to the story…**

I walked across the crowded room over to the food and drink table to see an amazing variety of sweets, pastries, and beverages. _I am DEFINENTLY going to the next party Pinkie throws, _I thought, my mouth watering at the arrangement spread before me. I wasn't very hungry at the moment, so I just grabbed two glasses of punch and looked for somepony to offer my spare one to. Scanning the room, I saw none other than Spitfire, leader of the Wonderbolts, fretting over something in a corner of the room.

I shrugged, and decided to walk over. She looked up as I neared.

"Hey, Spitfire!" I said happily, a smile on my face. She seemed confused, almost frightened.

"H-how… How do you know my name?" she asked cautiously.

_Dammit, I forgot to play dumb! _I cursed. I smiled again and offered my extra drink to her. I had to think up a believable story, and fast. "Well," I started, ideas racing through my head. Each one was worse than the last. It hit me, and I felt stupid for not thinking about it before. "Uh… Dash told me about you! She really likes the Wonderbolts, you know. And besides, who wouldn't know the captain of a famous flying team?" I quickly covered. She gave a weak smile.

"I guess you're right," she said, scanning the room anxiously.

"Why are you here, anyway? This is such a small town for a big star." I asked.

She looked at the floor and scuffed it with a forehoof. "I was kinda looking to meet somepony here," she said, with a slight blush spreading over her cheeks.

"Oh. Do you mind if I ask who?" I said, interested.

She looked around quickly. Looking back at me, she whispered urgently, "It's Soarin. I wanted to ask him to dinner." She looked away at that last sentence.

I had to concentrate to keep a straight face. I always knew there was more than met the eye to them, just a tad deeper than their sarcastic, jousting friendship. "I'm sure he'll say yes, Spitfire," I said, placing my hand on the pony's shoulder. "Who would say no to an awesome pony like you?" I said with a smile, trying to boost her confidence.

She looked up and returned the smile. "Thanks, uh…" She looked embarrassed. "I've forgotten to get your name," she stated, looking to the floor again.

I chuckled. "My name is Aster," I replied, taking her hoof in a small handshake. "Now let's find Soarin." She nodded in silent agreement. My eyes roamed the room, searching for the white pegasus. I spotted him in the middle of the room, looking to be engaged in a conversation with a pony I couldn't see.

Pulling Spitfire with me, I walked over to him. Just as I was about to reach him, a pony in front of me moved, and revealed the pony he was talking to.

It was Rainbow Dash. I inched closer, Spitfire close behind. I caught snippets of their conversation.

"Well… Dash. I have something to ask you," Soarin said.

"Yes? What is it?" Dash asked, almost nervous and excited.

"Erm… We've talked a lot in these last few months, and we know each other really well… So I was wondering… Would you like to be my marefriend?" Soarin asked, rubbing the back of his head with a hoof.

These were obviously the words Dash had wanted to hear. She jumped up and hugged Soarin tightly, almost screaming, "YES! Of course I will!"

Soarin staggered under the sudden hug attack, but regained his footing and returned the hug with a smile. I looked back at Spitfire. She had obviously heard the conversation as well, and seen the event happen afterwards. She looked down, and tears starting to slide down her cheeks. It seemed she had liked Soarin for a long time. I kneeled down to look her straight on. "Hey," I said softly, placing my hand on the orange pony's shoulder. She looked up, tears still running freely. She sniffed.

"Dash probably just said yes because she would do anything to get in good with the Wonderbolts," I said. "You're an awesome pony. Don't let that fool of a stallion trick you into thinking you're not." I smiled at her.

This time I was the one being hug attacked. Spitfire gripped me tightly. "Thank you, Aster," she said softly. Releasing me, she backed away, her face still wet, but no more new tears. "Now let's have a party!" she said ecstatically.

**Sorry that the length is so short… I've been so busy with band, and my highschool tryouts are next week. This is just something to keep the plot moving and assure you that I WILL still be updating. I want this to last as long as it can. Please review so I can make this as good as possible!**


	6. Chapter 6- Pinkie Pie turns it up

**God, I'm so fucking tired. And depressed. I just read My Little Dashie… Hah, Shining Armor would be proud of the amount of "liquid pride" in my pillow. Also, the end to a different FanFic, "The Curse's Bounty", by Kira Mackey just killed me inside… but it's still a good Fic. You should probably check it out. Anyway, on to the party…**

I had realized that on my first day in Ponyville, I had not been enjoying myself at all. Looking around, I saw Pinkie bouncing around by the refreshment table.

"Pinkie!" I called.

She turned around, still bouncing. "Yes, Aster?" she replied.

I grinned and made a wide wave over towards where I was standing. "Get your tail over here!" She sped to me, nothing more than a pink blur, reaching me in what must have been less than half a second. "What do ponies do for fun at a party?" I asked the energetic pink pony. She gave me a smile that seemed crazier than the pony herself… _Is that even possible?! _

"Well," she started, "I have a big big BIG surprise for you," she giggled covering her mouth with a hoof. "But that'll have to wait, and I can't tell you, because then there would be no surprise to the surprise, silly!" she said, mocking a scolding movement with her hoof.

I gulped. _Another Pinkie surprise? I could barely handle the first one! _I thought. Pinkie looked around the room, as if checking for something. I started mentally preparing myself. She looked back at me, grinning wider than seemed physically possible.

"But there is something you can do before the surprise," she said. I looked at her, waiting for the answer. "You could always-" She stopped suddenly, her ears perking up. "Oh heated structure for water containment, I own these fruity preserves!" She screamed, running off to anther part of the room, leaving nothing but a Pinkie-shaped dust cloud where she once stood.

I blinked my eyes in shock. _What the hell did she just say? _Twilight was standing off to the side, laughing at the conversation I had just had and my bewildered expression. "Twilight, what the hell did she just say?" I asked her, still trying to figure it out.

"Pinkie logic, Aster. Use Pinkie logic," she said, still laughing. I stared at her.

"You just used _Pinkie _and _logic_ in the same sentence," I told her. "You aren't drunk, are you?" I said, smiling and cocking a mocking eyebrow at her.

"Actually, I did have a couple of glasses of punch before I realized it was spiked," she answered, embarrassed. I laughed this time, doubling over.

Putting a hand on Twi's shoulder for support, I tried to talk through my giggle fit. "Damn, Twilight, loosen up! You're at a party for God's sake. I'm sure you're responsible enough not to get as drunk as some people here will," I said, standing up. "Now, you said Pinkie logic?" I looked at her. "So, in other words… the exact opposite of logic?"

She shrugged. "Yea, pretty much."

"Well, I may need to think on this one… I think… Or not…"

The lavender pony chuckled. "I think that you confused me just then. Anyway, I'm going to go _attempt _to 'loosen up'," she said, heading toward the drink table.

"Good luck, you're gonna need it!" I called to her. She just rolled her eyes.

I found a seat and plopped down, my brain working furiously on "Pinkie logic". I must have sat there for five or six minutes before I stopped myself, thought a little more, then audibly facepalmed. I shut down any intelligent thought processes in my head, and it hit me a second later. _"Oh heated structure for water containment, I own these fruity preserves!"_ I reran in my head. Once again, my palm greeted my face with a thick slap. _Oh hot damn, this is my jam! _I fell into another laughing fit, doubled over in my chair, clutching my sides. The answer was so deceptively simple!

Someone tapped my shoulder. I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye and looked up to see Rarity standing in front of me, levitating a brand new shirt before me. It was exactly like the old one that had been ruined. I jumped up and gave Rarity a hug.

"Thank you, so much, Rarity!" I said, admiring the article of clothing. It was better than the original.

"My pleasure, darling," said Rarity in her elegant voice. "It was quite the challenge, so I enjoyed it greatly. I've never made clothing for humans before. Your shape is…" She looked me up and down. "Unusual, to say the least." She smiled. "I thought it was about time for you to stop walking around barebacked. Now, try it on, for me, will you, darling?"

I took the shirt, pulled it over my arms, and buttoned up the front. She looked at my now clothed upper body and smiled. "You look much better now," she commented, circling around me, pulling and readjusting the shirt here and there.

"Do you have a mirror?" I asked her politely.

She looked back and smiled. "I never go anywhere without one. Nothing is worth remembering if you don't look your best," she said, turning around. She walked off to some other part of the room, presumably to get the mirror. I sat back down, waiting.

A moment after I had sat down, I felt a tap on my shoulder. _Damn. Rarity's fast! _I thought. I turned my head to see a unicorn looking at me, but it wasn't Rarity. I smiled at him. "Hello," I said nicely. "Who are you?"

I might've failed to notice the unicorn, his coat being the same brown as the floor. His mane and tail distinguished him from the wood of the library floor, though, seeming to shimmer as it reflected miniscule amounts of light off his golden yellow hair. His cutie mark resembled something I would call a coat of arms for a guild of scholars, with two extravagant quills crossed over a yellowed sheet of parchment. His eyes, the same brilliant color as his mane, seemed to try and read me as he replied.

"You can call me Citrine," the unicorn said softly, the corners of his mouth twitching up in a small smile. He took my hand in a small handshake. "Was that Rarity you were just talking to?" he asked.

"Yea," I answered. "Do you want to talk to her?"

"Well, kinda," he said. "I heard she knows Twilight Sparkle."

I grinned. "Of course! I know Twi too. But why do you want to talk to Twilight?"

He seemed to swell a bit, standing taller in an important manner as he responded. "I am the headmaster of a new scholar's guild in the area. I had heard rumors that Twilight was rather intelligent and I would like to offer her a membership," he said with a tone of authority.

"Oh, well that seems like a completely legitimate and viable reason, Mr. Citrine." I said, imitating his professional tone and diction while my back stiffened as I adjusted my posture. He eyed me.

"Are you mocking me?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Not at all, good sir. Just being polite to the headmaster of the scholar's guild," I said, still imitating his previous tone. His eyebrow slowly crept further up on his face. I grinned. "I think your eyebrow is trying to escape," I stated.

Once again, his eyebrow ascended to a new height. The line quickly fell back to its original position when he began to smile. The smile evolved into laughter. I laughed along with him, although I was confused. "You're a witty one," he commented. "Maybe I should offer you a position at the guild too." He rotated as he began to walk off. "I'm going to go find Twilight now. I'll see you later."

At the moment Citrine had left, Rarity trotted over with a mirror floating in front of her. She held it up. "Thanks," I said, grabbing the mirror. As I rotated it to me, I looked my self up and down again. The shirt was fine, the plaid design somehow making me look even skinnier. "I love it," I said, turning to Rarity and returning the mirror.

"Well, if you ever need anything, just let me know, dear," she said. "So, tell me ab-" She was abruptly cut off as a loud sound sliced through the air. I recognized it as Pinkie's voice.

"HEY EVERYPONY!" the booming voice roared. I could practically feel my eardrums rattle as she spoke. "LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!"

I turned around and spotted none other than the bouncy pink mare herself, yelling into a microphone on a stage that had seemed to magically appear.

"I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE THE ONE AND ONLY…. _VINYL SCRATCH!"_ The crowd roared, and my heart soared at these words. Vinyl Scratch, the most famous DJ in Equestria, is actually playing at _my_ party!

I barely had time to think on this when she came out from behind Pinkie, and the crowd roared again. She held up a hoof for silence, and the sound died out abruptly. She calmly put on her headphones and selected a song. Before she played it, she grabbed the microphone. A smirk spread across her face slowly before saying a line I have only heard in the Epic Wub Time Remix by TuXe.

"WUBADUBDUB, MOTHERFUCKERS!" she said loudly, turning on the music at the same time.

**I am ****_sooo_**** sorry I haven't updated sooner. There was just so much shit going on… I started this chapter about a week ago, and hit some writer's block pretty early on. Anyway, I would like to thank all those who have reviewed, followed, and favorited my story. Oh, and I would like to thank Shadow Brony as well, for being ultra supportive and offering to help me out. Alrighty… See you next chapter!**


	7. Chapter 7- The Party is Iced

** Sorry, sorry… I hate how long it takes for me in between updates. I've been looking for a remixer/music creator that is easy and free. I want to make a YouTube music video, but it's rather difficult. Anyway, I'm listening to several fanmade songs, but mostly TheLivingTombstone's Discord remix, One Trick Pony (another TLT remix XD), and Atomizer. So, you can guess my mood. But you're not here for my music. You're here for a story, and a story you shall get.**

The first thing that hit me was the bass. And when I say hit me, I meant it literally _hit me._ The bass was so loud and powerful that I and everypony else staggered under the pressure of the sound waves for a moment. I almost fell on Rarity, who was still behind me. I felt the slight heat of embarrassment rise to my face as I apologized to her, and turned my attention back to the stage.

Vinyl was talking to Pinkie Pie about something. Pinkie, still bouncing more than a Superball in the flatbed of an old truck, replied to the DJ with her characteristic smile and pointed in my direction. The white mare nodded and walked off stage. She jumped off the edge…

And froze in mid-air.

I was startled, to say the least. Hell, I was frightened. My head swung from side to side, hair swaying as I took in the scene around me. The air had taken a bluish tint, and every single pony in the room was petrified in the middle of whatever action they had been doing before the strange event had happened. I saw Dash in mid sentence, Twi reluctantly sipping at the alcoholic punch, and Applejack, Fluttershy, and the new pony, Sonic Boom, standing by the food table. A sharp pop yanked my attention from my observations, and I swung around. I had my second near-heartattack of the day.

Standing there, in a space relatively clear of ponies, was Princess Celestia herself. She smiled at me warmly, and all traces of fear and wariness seemed to flee my being, my mind telling me that she was to be trusted. I slowly walked to her, as if in a trance, yet still able to avoid touching any of the frozen ponies. When I reached her, I decided to look back to where I once stood. My eyes widened a little. Where I was standing seemed to be another… me. A petrified ghost of my body. She spoke then.

"Do not worry, human. You're still very much whole. I just replicated an image so you don't appear to teleport when I release the spell." Her voice was melodic, soothing and inviting. My inner side seemed to gravitate to it, wanting to listen to it and cherish it. I turned back to her.

"You had me worried, Miss…" I trailed off, remembering to fake all knowledge of this world.

She gave a light chuckle. "You need not to play those games with me, Evan. Or, Aster, as you prefer. I know where you're from, and how much you know about us already."

A shred of fear wormed its way back through the warm shell of the Princess's voice. "H-how do you know my real name?" I hadn't told it to anypony in Ponyville yet, so how she had obtained it was a frightening mystery. Once again, she gave a laugh, and once again, all negative feelings were banished from my soul.

"You think I'd let anypony in my personal realm without scanning their thoughts, feelings, and deeds for feelings of malice and unneeded hatred? There's already enough of that here, sadly. I know everything you know," she replied.

My feelings were now not of fear or confusion, but of hot embarrassment. "There's a _lot_ of awkward stuff in my mind, you know…" I fell silent, staring at the floor in embarrassment.

The Princess giggled, apparently finding the red on my cheeks highly amusing. "Yes, I know, and I apologize for invading the personal space and thoughts of your mind. I just wanted to avoid any new problems in my kingdom."

I nodded understandingly. Her eyes found mine and I found myself transfixed. "Now," the Princess said, "I have to talk to you about something of dire importance." Her voice was still comforting and inviting, but it had taken a more serious tone, losing its humor. I shifted, feeling somewhat uncomfortable under her penetrating and calculating gaze. "As you know, being human, you are… strange. Alien. Many ponies have seen worse, but some may still be fearful of new events such as a human."

"Yea, Twi told me about that," I said, putting my hand to my neck and breaking eye contact with Celestia. "So, where are you going with this?"

"I am offering to turn you into a pony." She said it firmly, no hint of a joke in the music of her voice. I looked up in disbelief, locking eyes with her once again. There was a small smirk on her face, the flashing twinkle in her eyes betraying that I had amused her again with my reaction.

"You're fucking with me," I said, my voice quiet.

"Maybe I am, if you don't watch your language," she chastised, but with a light hint of laughter in her voice.

"Yes, ma'am. I would like to be a pony… but… not yet."

It was her turn to be surprised. She looked at me, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

I chuckled. "I want to remain human for a while. I want to get to know everypony, and since I just met Applejack, Twi, and Dash, and Rarity gave me this shirt literally ten minutes ago. But I'll gladly take it up with you some other time." I smiled at that last sentence.

"Well…" She glanced around at the party around us, the bluish hue in the air and the still ponies giving the feel of the scene being frozen in ice. "I suppose it's time to let you go back to your party now. Tell Twilight I said hello, Aster, and I'll see you soon."

My body seemed to float back to my space midst the ponies, and I felt every part of my body align itself into my ghostly visage, locking in. As soon as I locked in, the blue faded slowly, and the party sprang back to life. The music hit me again, with renewed force. Apparently Princess Celestia's voice was much more relaxing then I had first felt. My muscles were unprepared for the force of the wubs, and, quite simply, I fell on my ass. Hard.

I straightened up, rubbing my backside. Looking up, I saw a white mare with a dark blue mane, streaked with neon highlights of electric blue, trot to me, light bouncing off the magenta sunglasses she wore. She wore a wide smile as she looked at me. "Nice fall," she remarked.

I blushed deeply. "You saw that?"

"Aww, look, he's blushing!" she teased as she grabbed my crimson cheeks and pulled them from my face. The blush deepened. She giggled. "Oh, lighten up," she said, releasing my face and falling back to all four hooves. "So, you're the pony I'm playing this party for?"

"Yes, except I'm human. My name is Aster," I replied simply. My eyes trailed to her cutie mark, which was a set of eight notes, starkly contrasting the white of her coat with its black color.

"Nice to meet you, Aster. I'm Vinyl Scratch, also known as the famous DJ PON3. You can just call me Vinyl." She caught me looking at her flank, and smiled seductively at me. "You like what you see?" she said, half turning her body to show off the mark. The hot flush returned to my face in what had to be record time.

"I-I…was just c-curious about your t-talent…" I said, stuttering. She gave a girlish giggle.

"Well, I have to go back to my booth. I'll see you around, huh?" she said, honeying her voice. I could only nod dumbly. She let out another flirty giggle. "You're funny. And cute. I'll make sure to talk to you again," she said, trailing the tip of her tail on my thigh as she left.

_Did Vinyl Scratch just hit on me?_ I thought numbly. I shook it off. This is a party, a social event. Time to be social. I scanned the room, looking for somepony to talk to next. I glanced over a grey pony, with a slick black mane, hardly paying attention. My eyes darted back to the earth pony, and I looked closer. I spotted a purple treble clef on her flank. _Could it be?... _ I walked up to her, and tapped her shoulder. Her body turned as she faced me, a wine glass filled with the red alcoholic beverage in her hoof. "Hello, my name is Aster," I told her.

The corners of her mouth turned up in a small, polite smile as she replied with her pleasant British accent. "Hello, Aster. I'm Octavia."

**And… Scene! Oh, I love cutting you guys off when I start a new conversation… Anyway, I feel proud, because I actually finished this chapter in one bloody evening! Go me! And also, somewhere along the line, I switched songs to "Lullaby for a Princess". Chills, chills everywhere… Well, thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8- A New Guest

** Hello, readers! I am here to inform you that upon the start date of writing this chapter, there are only four days left in my school year. Hopefully this means more updates, more frequently, and in longer length. But….**

**We'll just see how this all plays out.**

(P.O.V. change: Evan)

I awoke in a blinding flash, nothing but whiteness dominating my vision for a brief period of time. Even after that, the area around me seemed to be a black void, holding back everything from my eyes due to the sudden exposure of light. I lied there on my back, waiting for the darkness to fade. As I waited, my mind raced. _Did it work? Was my theory right? Am I in the correct world? If I am… How will I get back? And most importantly, is he even here? Wow… I'm going to be so mad if he isn't. _

I sat and let my emotions simmer for a bit as I noticed a dim light from the corner of my eye. I slowly turned my head and tried to focus on the round glowing area above me. It slowly came into definition, revealing a pale, shining moon, its glowing aura seeming to keep the deep navy colored sky around it at bay, preventing the darkness from swallowing the sphere. But something was off about this moon. It lacked something. Not only that, but on closer investigation, the surface didn't look the same as it had before, the pattern arranged differently, and the craters seemed to be more circular. I lowered my gaze from the sky, deciding to test my vision again. I took in the scene around me. I was on the edge of some sort of forest, and yet again, something was different.

As I stared at the tree line, I tried to decipher what was different from the information my sights gave to me. I compared images of home, from my own night sky and forests, to the ones before me. It slowly dawned on me. There was a lack of depth, it seemed. But that wasn't the only thing. I glanced around once more, the moon casting silver over everything its light touched. I looked at the area around me, washed in the magical light. A wild thought ran through my head. Going out on a limb, I studied the moonlight… Or what was under it, at least. I stared at the foliage of the trees, the pale green of the grass under the moon's silver. It seemed… Brighter. More vivid.

I smiled. I had made it. The vividness of the land around me had a cartoonish quality to it. I realized I was still lying on my back, and sat up slowly, hoping nothing was around to witness my forgetfulness. I wiped the bright green grass from my back and stood up. Spotting a small path cutting through the grass, I decided it might be in my best interest to follow it through this new and mysterious world. After a year of study, a year of seclusion, and a year of mourning, I had finally made it to what I had hoped was the land of Equestria.

I followed the yellow dirt path (No, it wasn't a brick road. Sorry.) under the moonlight. The moon seemed to be watching over me, making sure no harm fell upon me.

Or I'm just crazy.

Either or.

After a bit of time, I crested one last small hill, and gasped. What broke the horizon below me was a small town. The buildings were colorful, but pastel and paled in the moonlight raining from above. Most of the buildings were dark, but something unusual was in the wind. I held my breath and listened. There was the dull throb of music in the air. I could hear the bass from where I stood. Scanning the small village below me, I looked for the source of the music. One building stood out from the rest. It might have been the lasers and multicolored lights streaming from the windows that drew my attention. Or perhaps it was a tree, and that struck me as odd. Eh. It doesn't matter. I ran to the town below, thanking whoever the gods of the land were for me choosing Track in school.

I could have sworn the moon glowed brighter for a second…

I ran through the town, following the sound of the music, which I now recognized to be dubstep. I grimaced a bit. No class in that type of music. The bass grew louder as I slowed my pace to a jog. Nearing the library, what could be called the "melody" of the music was now clear. I walked slowly to the door, feeling the bass press against my eardrums with a force that rivaled the timpani in my concert band. I pushed open the door, and flew back a couple of feet. There was a literal force to the music now. I stood up and braced myself, walking to the door again. I stared through the open doorway, my eyes wide in shock. The building was filled to the brim with ponies. I sat down hard.

_IT WORKED! IT REALLY WORKED! But… Where is Aster?_

I scanned the room again, and saw that there was a human at a table by the wall. He had dark brown hair, cut to a medium length, and his face was slender, pale like the watchful moon outside.

But, yet again, something differed. He was talking to a grey pony, apparently a mare, judging by her mane being long and styled in an elegant sweep. I raised my hand to scratch my face, and the movement caught his attention. He looked up at me, and our eyes locked. I noticed the difference then.

His eyes had turned silver, like the moonlight outside. Only richer, with depth. He said something to the mare quickly, and his face was paler than usual. He started towards me.

(P.O.V. change: Aster)

"Hello, Octavia. It's nice to meet you," I said as I sat down with the mare. "You seem like the wrong type of pony for this type of party," I commented.

She nodded, her polite smile fading a bit. "Yes, I know. I'm a classical fan, not this…" She gestured with a hoof, looking for the right word. "Stuff."

"Oh really? You look the type. But how do you bear this music then?" I asked.

The grey mare smirked. "This little beauty," she said, pushing back her mane, "Does a lot of the work." Almost hidden in her ear was a small silver device. She deftly plucked it out and handed it to me. I took the small sphere-like thing gingerly in my palm and looked it over. It was designed to fit snugly and comfortably in a pony's ear canal. It looked very similar to a set of ear buds I had back on Earth. "Do you mind if I try it out?" I asked, curiosity driving the question out of my mouth. She nodded, and I placed it in my ear. As expected, it didn't fit in to my ear like it had with Octavia's. It was obviously clearly visible.

What shocked my was how well the small electronic had worked. All noise from the right side of my ear had been silenced and replaced with a beautiful classical piece that reminded me of something Beethoven would produce. I carefully took it out and replaced it into Octavia's hoof, the music of the party once again pounding against my right ear as soon as the sound suppressing mechanism was free of my ear. "That is utterly amazing… Great music choice, by the way," I told her.

"Thank you," she responded while putting the effective device back in her ear. With a slight movement of her mane, it was hidden from sight again.

"Very sneaky as well," I commented. "So, what brings you to a party like this anyway?"

"I know Vinyl, the DJ. We're actually roommates," she replied, swirling her wine and taking a sip.

"Oh, her…" I trailed off.

She gave a small laugh. "I'm assuming you've already met her?" she asked, obviously already knowing the answer. I just nodded. "Let me guess…" She smirked. "She was really, _really _flirty?"

"Y-yeah…" My voice trailed off again, and I blushed, remembering the encounter with the white mare.

She laughed again. "Typical of her. She's always like that."

Something caught my eye just then. A figure was standing in the doorway. I looked up and felt both the blush and the blood drain from my face.

There was a human in the doorway. I turned to Octavia. "Sorry, Tavi, I really have to go for a minute," I apologized quickly. Standing quickly, I maneuvered my way through the mass of ponies towards the doorway. I now recognized the human as Evan, my best friend from Earth. I moved quicker, and pushed him out of the doorway when I got to him, closing the stout library door behind me. I quickly embraced him in a (manly, no homo) hug. "Evan," I cried with delight, "What's your sorry ass doing here?"

He gave me a small smile. "I finally found a way to get to Equestria."

I gasped. "You didn't kill yourself, did you?"

He shook his head. "No, after a year of research, I found a kind of mode of transportation to get here."

I looked at him, stunned. "A… a year?" He nodded. "It's barely been a day here, Evan…"

His eyes widened. "Are you serious?" I nodded. He thought for a second. "Hmm… Time-space differentials…" he muttered to himself.

"Evan, you're probably going to need a place to stay until you go back. You can go back… Right?"

He frowned. "No, not yet. I hoped that… Who was it? The Princess… Stacy or something? Yea, I was hoping she could help."

"Celestia," I automatically corrected. "And yes, she may be able to help you."

"Good," he said. Then he looked up, and I stifled a gasp. There was a recurring trend here.

Evan's eyes were now a pale metallic lavender.

**BOOM. Bye the way, I lied about only four more days. That was a week ago. Turns out I forgot about Marching Band practice. So, actually, now there's four more days. After that, I'm clear though. Thanks for reading, and leave your thoughts in a review!**


	9. Chapter 9- Alexis

**HELLO, ONCE AGAIN, AUDIENCE!**

** Wait… That's ****_not _****my line?**

** Well… Nevermind that then. So, rewrote this entire chapter after the computer crash, so it may seem a bit rushed. Plus, this is only a small section, to fill in some gaps. Sorry that the length may be a little… Lacking. And by the way, over 3,500 reads?! Thank you all SO MUCH!**

_June 21__st__, 2014._

_So, today was the day Evan finally found a way to go to this alternate world that Aster was presumably sent to. Nobody can be one hundred percent sure. He left me here though, saying, "Alexis, I can't have you go with me. This is a prototype device, and the dangers are completely unknown. Plus… I may not come back." _

_Sadness was evident in his eyes as he looked down and continued. "I have no way of knowing where I'll actually be sent, and I have no sure way to get back. Maybe the portal will remain open, maybe not. But I can't pass up this chance." He looked back up and grasped my hands, looking into my wet eyes. "I love you," he said, the corners of his eyes wrinkling as he turned his lips up in a smile, "But I have to go… If in the occasion that I don't return soon, please wait for me. I have no idea how long I'll be gone." He pulled my close for a hug, then released me and walked into the portal that he had constructed in his basement._

_ To my horror, the magical disc of energy snapped shut the second he walked through. The device seems intact, but… _

_ I'll only use it in an emergency._

Alexis shut the diary and threw her pen at the wall in frustration. She had lost both of her best friends… No, her best friend and her boyfriend, in a little over a year. She stood up from the desk and walked to her bed, throwing herself down on it, shoving her face in her pillow and screaming. She turned over to her back and recalled the events of the day of Aster's death.

After she had done what he had asked, and Evan said that he had been sent to Equestria, she decided to return to his bed and look at him one last time. Upon opening the door, she was greeted with a shocking and jarring sight to say the least.

Aster's body had disappeared, leaving nothing but a rumpled sheet and a tangle of cords and tubes. The staff and her friends were completely baffled, having been right outside his door the entire time. Nobody else had entered or exited his room, and all the windows were latched tightly. She walked home with tears in her eyes, and then…

Evan's seclusion began. His grades slipped, his face was weary during the school year, lacking the energy and fullness she had known and loved. He spent hours every night of every week doing research and study on proposed and slightly insane methods of inter-dimensional travel. Alexis began to worry about his health, both physical and mental.

He never stopped, and come summer, he had completed his task and built a prototype.

As far as she knew, the result was uncertain. She could do nothing but wait.

**I REALLY hope this cleared some things up. I know it's short, but forgive me. It's here to tide you guys over until I can crank out something bigger and better.**


	10. Chapter 10- The Group

**Hola! Well, thanks to my flat out AWESOME story followers, I now have several ideas to help me keep this progressing. You're all pretty epic, and every one of you helps. Just seeing the number of reads this story has rising is motivational, so thank you all. Although, I'll give special thanks where they are due. So, big thanks to SonicMX and Shadow Brony for all the help and support as of recently. Your ideas are amazing and you two are a major help. ANYWAY. Back to story time! :D**

As I was reuniting with my old friend, I heard the door open slightly. Knowing that two humans in one day might be too much, I flung Evan into the bush beside the door. The momentum carried me too, and I fell right beside him. I hoped we were hidden well…

"Oh, get up, you two. We're not stupid," said a familiar voice. I carefully stood up, and was met by a face I remembered from not too long ago. "Oh, hi, Citrine…" I said to the brown unicorn. His eyes never seemed to stop studying me, their shimmering gaze pensive and calm. As I looked somewhere else, I noticed that there were more ponies around him. To his left was Sonic Boom, the friend of Fluttershy. _What's she doing here?.. _As I continued looking around, I counted about five ponies in all. Sonic spoke up.

"You can pull your friend there out of the bush, Aster. You're not hiding anything we don't already know," she said with a smirk. I blinked.

"How… How the hell do you know? Why aren't you freaking out? What in the name of Luna is going on?" My mind was racing at about a million miles an hour as I pulled Evan up from the "hiding" place.

"Hey, thanks bro. Being pushed into a bush is the first thing I wanted to do after meeting you here after a year…" Evan commented sarcastically.

"Sorry… I just thought there might be this huge, dramatic shit storm if the ponies saw two humans pop up within twenty-four hours of each other."

This time a voice with a Northern British accent replied.

"I'm positive any other ponies would have a near heart attack. But I can assure you, we are not "normal" ponies." None other than Doctor Whooves stepped from the shadows in between Citrine and Sonic. Now I was even more baffled.

"You're… You're the Doctor, aren't you?" I asked tentatively.

"Yup! That's me, the Doctor, hullo!" he replied in the way I remembered from the TV show.

"Well, that's a sure fact now… Anyway, what are you doing here? Who are these other ponies?" I asked, the questions swirling in my head, one or two finding a way out. Sonic stepped forward.

"I have an answer, Aster," she said calmly.

"Well, would you mind telling me?"

To my surprise, she tackled me. "_Look into my eyes! What do you see?!" _she half yelled, pinning me to the ground. I stared her in the eye, and she blinked. That's when I noticed it with a gasp. She smirked and stood up, walking back to Citrine and the Doctor.

Citrine chuckled. "Little overboard, don't you think, Sonic?"

She replied with a cheery grin. "Nope!"

I rolled my eyes and walked up to the group of ponies. The common effect was most prominent in Citrine. I looked him straight in the eyes, ignoring that nagging feeling that he is studying me. Just like his mane and tail, his eyes were a shimmering golden color. But not only shimmering… Metallic. I rubbed my temples, then moved on to the Doctor. Staring at him, I saw that the blue in his eyes was very slightly metallic, as if it had faded over time. Frowning slightly, I looked at the rest of the ponies in the group. Every single one of them shared that same property. Looking back at Evan, with his metallic lavender eyes, and remembering that mine had turned a glittering silver, I tried to piece it together. "What does this all mean?.." I said to nobody in particular. The Doctor spoke up once again, circling me slowly, with a slight grin on his face.

"Don't you see, Aster? We all share this common feature because of one more thing we have in common. We are all _not from here._" The grin widened.

I was stunned. "W-what?!" I asked dumbly.

"It's simple really. Every one of the ponies before wasn't a pony before he or she got here. You aren't the only one who wanted to be sent to Equestria. You realize how big the Brony fandom really is, right?" I just nodded. "You and a few others were permitted to come. Once you get your pony form from Luna or Celestia, you can choose to have the metallic color dimmed or faded, as I did, but there will always be a trace left. A sort of… Tag. A mark. A link to your previous life? It's actually really hard to explain."

I sat down. "So… You were all human at one point?" The Doctor nodded, still smiling. "Ah, but you were a Time Lord… Eh, you looked human, good enough for me right now." I looked through the small assembly of ponies again, and Sonic's eyes met mine. It clicked, right then. Everything just clicked. Back at the party, after my little breakdown, spewing my feelings of loss about my previous life, all to Fluttershy and Sonic… She had looked me in the eye. And I had seen sympathy. Like she had been there before. And now I know it's true. She, too, had to leave it all behind her, had to restart from scratch in a world she had fantasized about being in. I realized that every single pony in this bunch before me had. Almost without thinking, I walked up to the group and hugged the first pony there. I moved on until I had given a hug to every pony there, even the Doctor. Then I just sat down. "I'm so sorry for all of you… you all had to leave a life behind. I may not know yet, but I'm learning how hard that is, even as I speak to you now…" I looked each in the eye as I said this.

Citrine walked up to me, grabbed my hand with a hoof and pulled me up from the ground. He smiled. "Get up, Aster. It's already said and done for us. We're here to help you, now. So, my next recommendation for you? Find a place to stay for a bit. Then get a job, pay a rent until you can buy a house, etcetera etcetera… And if you ever need anything, find one of us." He stepped back.

Suddenly, Evan, who had been quiet the entire time, spoke up. "How do I get back?"

The Doctor looked at him curiously. "If you came here intentionally and on your own will, why do you want to return?"

"Because I just wanted to see an old friend again. I told my girlfriend I'd be back too. And with the time-space differential present in between these two places, I've probably missed more than a few days by now."

"Ah… I see." He frowned slightly. "Well, your best option is to probably see the Princesses about it. Princess Celestia brought most of us here anyway."

Evan nodded. "Where should I stay in the meantime?"

This time, Sonic spoke up. "I'm sure I could arrange something with Fluttershy!" She said with a grin.

I finally looked back at the door, thinking of people I could ask for a favor. "Well… Thank you all so much. I think I'm going to go find a pony I could ask to room with for a while. Wish me luck!" I said with a grin as I opened the door and walked back into the library. Glancing around, I spotted Octavia and Vinyl over by the DJ's table. _Octavia seems nice enough. Maybe I should ask her…_

I looked around one more time, trying not to stall myself too much. Confidence issues were a problem with me when it came to asking others questions, so I steeled myself quickly and walked forward without giving anything a second thought. Once I reached her, I tapped her quickly on the shoulder to get her attention. She turned around quickly with the polite smile from before. "Oh, hello Aster."

I smiled back. "Hello, Octavia," I replied. "Uh… I have a question for you." I glanced around quickly, noticing Vinyl had trotted back off to the turn tables.

She tilted her head slightly. "Oh? And what would that be?" she said inquiringly.

"Well, I'm going to be here awhile, and I'm kind of broke. Would you be willing to let me stay at your house for a bit, until I can get my own?"

Her smile widened a bit. "I wouldn't mind at all." But then the smile faded as she pursed her lips. "But Vinyl and I live together. So you'd have to ask her too…"

On the outside? I just smiled and replied, "Okay, will do. Thank you, Octavia."

On the inside, I was freaking the fuck out. _Another pony to ask? It's hard enough asking one pony… And to top it off, she's the flirty type. This isn't going to be easy…_

_Oh, shut up, brain. I don't need your immense help with all this confidence right now. _

_Was that sarcasm?_

_I don't know, you tell me._

_… Okay. I'll shut up now. _

_Yea, thanks. _After realizing I had been talking to myself for the last couple of moments, I walked up behind the booth and tapped Vinyl on the shoulder. She remained facing forward, nodding her head to the beat. I tapped again, harder this time. She turned around, grinning and still nodding slightly to the beat. "Yes? What do you need?"

"Well, I was wondering if you'd mind if I stayed at your house for a bit?"

"Well, is 'Tavi cool with it?" I nodded, and her grin widened. "Well, of course then! We'll meet you outside soon, okay? This party is winding down…"

I smiled. "Well, thank you, Vinyl. I'll see you later. How much more music you got before you have to leave."

"Plenty!" She turned around, and I saw her cringe. She faced me again with a nervous laugh. "Heh, I may have over estimated a teeny weeny little bit…"

I chuckled. "How long then?"

She was blushing a little, embarrassed at the blunder. "Five minutes…"

"Well, see you in five minutes then!" I said with a smile, bounding off the stage and onto the floor. I went around and said my goodbyes, grabbed one more glass of punch, then walked outside and waited by the door, leaning on the tree that was the library. I sipped the punch and looked around, the moon shedding light on the surrounding town and making it visible in the dead of night. As I was relaxing and waiting for Vinyl and Octavia to show me to their home, a mare with a yellow coat passed by. She gave me a glance, then smiled softly and winked. I smiled back, realizing just how much easier this was going to be with the support the former humans offered.

I gave her a quick wave.

Her eyes shimmered.

**Oh my God, look, a lengthy chapter! Anyway, this was barely over three pages, and I apologize for the lack of updates. I've been behind schedule and I finally got my shit together, sat down, and cranked this out. Anyway, as you can tell, OCs are going to be very unique in this piece of work. If you would like to have your OC in this story, PM me or leave a review; I don't care how, just drop me a line. :D Anyway, I'm gonna sign out for now. See everypony next new chapter! And thanks for being such an awesome group of readers!**


	11. Updates

**I'm sorry to inform you that updates will be delayed. Marching season starts a month earlier than school and it consumes a ton of my time and energy. I will still be working, and I'll always be accepting questions and/or ideas, but chapter updates will be very spread out. I'm trying to find a way to work this out, but for now, all I ask of you, my readers, is a bit of patience. Thank you! ^-^**


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